Introduction

In 1996, Roland introduced the VS-880 Digital Studio Workstation. The VS-880 brought together all the tools needed to make a finished song in a small form-factor at a very inexpensive price. The VS-880 combined digital recording, digital mixing, effects processing, and mastering ” putting all the power of a recording studio in a small, powerful, and portable box. This new digital recording machine had many advantages over the tape-based recording systems, including the ability to store and recall settings, recording in a non-linear fashion, non-destructive editing and bouncing of tracks, and the concept of virtual tracks.

Suddenly, musicians could record what they wanted, when they wanted, and how they wanted, without spending a small fortune or having to leave the comforts of their own home. Soon home recording hobbyists and even commercial studios were harnessing the power and flexibility of the Roland V-Studios. Within three short years , Roland had sold over 100,000 VS-880 workstations. The digital revolution had begun.

Since 1996, Roland continued to improve the V-Studios, adding more features and functions in each subsequent model. Today the flagship VS-2480 workstation can be found in professional recording studios across the world. Given the power and performance of the VS-2480, you may be wondering why we've chosen to include the older VS workstations in this book. The reality is there are thousands of musicians around the globe who are using these older workstations with much success. And, with the advent of online auction services such as eBay, older VS workstations can be purchased for a few hundred dollars, bringing the power of digital recording to a whole new group of consumers. The revolution continues.

In the chapters that follow, we'll take a look at the history of the VS series, from the revolutionary VS-880 to Roland's flagship VS-2480, highlighting the features of each VS model. Regardless of which VS model you use, they all share some things in common, so we'll explore the functions, features, and methodologies that are consistent across the VS product line. Finally, we'll take a more in-depth look at the VS-880/890 series, the VS-1680/1880 series, and the VS-2400/2480 series, providing details on recording, editing, and mixing on each series. Along the way, we'll also provide tips, tricks, and techniques to help you get the most out of your VS recorder.